Ms. Serrano assists clients in creating an estate plan that is tailored to each individual’s unique needs and familial situations, whether the planning is for large estates or modest estates. Ms. Serrano’s estate planning practice includes the preparation of Wills, Living Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, and incapacity planning documents such as Durable and Medical Powers of Attorney, Directives to Physicians and Family or Surrogates (“Living Will”), and Declarations of Guardian. She also prepares Marital Agreements as part of her estate planning and asset protection practice, which help married couples more easily manage and plan for separate assets. Ms. Serrano has successfully helped clients avoid the probate process through creative plans and the creation and funding of Living Trusts. Through careful planning, Ms. Serrano also helps clients and their estates avoid or minimize the payment of estate taxes, thereby preserving the ultimate inheritance that will be received by estate beneficiaries.
Ms. Serrano helps clients navigate through the probate and estate administration process following the death of a loved one. Her practice also includes advising creditors in estate proceedings,representing beneficiaries and heirs with respect to their rights in the administration process, and advising executors and trustees regarding their legal obligations in accordance with the law.
She also advises clients who are dealing with the incapacity of a loved one, and guides them through the guardianship process for incapacitated individuals.
Ms. Serrano has participated in a number of professional events as a speaker, including events with the El Paso Bar Association, El Paso Estate Planning Council, the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, UTEP, NMSU, and Region 19. Ms. Serrano has also authored articles on topics such as the probate process and ethical considerations in estate planning. She is currently serving as the President of the Southern New Mexico Estate Planning Council, Director of the UTEP Women’s Estate Planning Conference, and a board member of the El Paso Estate Planning Council.
An El Paso native, Ms. Serrano attended high school at Jesus Chapel School and received her Bachelor of Business Administration from UTEP, graduating magna cum laude. She went on to earn her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree at Texas Tech University School of Law, where she graduated third in her class and received a number of honors, including being inducted into the Order of the Coif and being named in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
During law school, Ms. Serrano participated in the Civil Practice Clinic, where she represented and advised clients on a number of issues, including family law and estate planning. She served as a Property Law Tutor for a well-known estate planning and property expert, Professor Gerry Beyer. Also during law school, Ms. Serrano clerked for the Honorable William Sowder of the 99th District Court in Lubbock, Texas, where she briefed the court on various cases, including family law, property, and foreclosure disputes.
